Belt-buckle.



No. 655,37I. Patented Aug 7, i900.

L. J. RITTER.

BELT BUCKLE.

(Application Bled June 22, 1900.)

(No Model.)

w/rNEssEs.- Y* v /NvE/vr H y f o s 'Ill, 5 L f f Z A /vErs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS RITTER AND JACOB RITTER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y. Y

BELT-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming leert ef Lettere Patent Ne. 655,371, dated August 7, 1900.

Application led June 22, 1900.

T @ZZ whom, it may concern: i

Be it known that we, LOUIS RITTER and JACOB RITTER, citizens of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt-Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of buckles used, preferably, for ladies belts; and the object of the invention is to provide a belt-buckle which is simple, durable, and effective and which is not liable to get out of order.

The invention consists of a belt-buckle which comprises two slide members' constructed so that they may be slid one on the other, the face of one member being provided with a longitudinal series of teeth inclined on one side and squared on their operative side and the other member being provided with opposite edge notches, a link for engagL ing with said teeth, said link having notched rearwardly-bent portions hung into the said edge notches, so as to form a hinge-joint, and a back bar connecting said bent portions and provided with a heel extending in the same direction as the locking or loop portion of the link, so as to form a short lever, which is acted on by a suitable spring tending to engage the loop end of the link with said teeth, all as will be hereinafter described in detail and then point-ed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is afront elevation of our improved belt-buckle, showing the position of the parts when in use. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the slide members of the buckle, the link being omitted; and Fig. 3 is a similar view of the other member. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the link. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section on line 5 5, Fig. l; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on line 6 G, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A B indicate 1two slide members composed of suitable plates of metal and secured in any suitable manner to the ends of the belt. 'The members A B are curved transversely at their longitudinal intermediate portions to form ribs ct b, rib being provided with a series of teeth b', having serial Ne. 21,153. ore modell) square shoulders all standing in one direction and inclined faces extending in the opposite direction. At the adjacent ends of the central longitudinal ribs the slide members are formed with narrow side flanges f and at the opposite ends with wider side angesf,which practicall)T dene the width of the buckle, so as to impart a finished appearance and solidity. Slide member A moves under the slide member B as its rib a slides within said rib b, and the edges of the flanges f of slide member A are provided with directly-opposite notches c c, adapted for the connection of a suitable link D, the loop-shaped rfront portion of which is adapted to engage with the square shoulders of the teeth b' and to freely ride over the inclined surfaces of the teeth in well-known manner. For the purpose of hinging the link D the same is provided with rearwardly-bent portions cl,which are notched at d', such notched portions d beinghung in the notches c of slide member A. The rear ends of the portions d are connected by a transverse back bar e, which is formedk at its mid-length with a heel e', which extends a short distance in the same direction .as the front loop of the link, so as to form a short lever. A semi-elliptic or curved spring g is seated at its ends in the groove at the back of the rib a, While its bumped back bears elastically against the heel e', thereby tending to force the longer front loop of the link D into engagement with one ofv the teeth b.

By constructing the link D with the short heel e and extending it in the direction of the loop of the link it is only necessary to exert a slight spring-pressure upon that side of the heel adjacent to the slide member A. Said spring g by being located between the transverse back bar e and the slide member A is retained in position, and it cannot be easily dislocated, and a better action is obtained by such spring than by a spring which simply IOO bers, provided with longitudinal ribs, Witla-- narrow flanges at each side of the adjacent. ends of the ribs and Wider iianges at the opposite ends, one of said slide members having opposite notches in its wider flanges, andVv the other having a series of teeth on its rib, a link having rearwardly-bent portions hung in said notches to form a hinge-joint, said bent portions being connected byaback bar projecting in substantially the same direction as the engaging front loop of the link,

,and a semi-elliptic spring, the ends of which are seated in the groove at the back of the rib of the link-supporting slide member and the humped back of which bears on that side of said heel which is adjacent to the link-snpporting slide member, substantially as set forth.

fln testimony that We claim the foregoing as our invention We have signed oui` names in presence of two snbscribingwitnesses.

LOUIS RITTER.

' JACOB RITTER.

W'itnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL,

M. ll. WURTZEL. 

